Detroit Area Pest Control Firms Report Increase in Rats

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, rats are an increasing concern in metro Detroit, where several pest control firms say they have seen a significant rise in rat calls.

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September 27, 2010

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, rats are an increasing concern in metro Detroit, where several pest control firms say they have seen a significant rise in rat calls.

Troy-based Rose Pest Solutions has logged a 36% upswing in rat calls, a trend largely driven by residential calls in Detroit and suburbs such as Grosse Pointe Farms, Roseville, Warren, St. Clair Shores, Royal Oak and Sterling Heights. And Lake Orion-based A & D Animal Control, which services Oakland County, had about a dozen rat calls this summer, compared with less than a handful in some other years, said Al Krier, owner for 37 years.

The reasons are unclear, but experts suggest several culprits: abandoned properties; a push to demolish empty buildings; even a wetter-than-normal summer, leading to thicker vegetation and more hiding spaces for rodents.\

The company said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 17%. Ecolab CEO Doug Baker said the company’s U.S. pest business “has been steadily improving” due to a number of investments in that business starting two years ago.